Can HD radio help me pick up chicks?

[Darth_vader]

"Radio is just not cool to the opposite sex anymore."

For the record, the practise of putting your amateur call letters next to your name is passé to the opposite sex these days. Saying "Hi, I'm John Smith N7XYZ" to that hot babe you're trying to hook up with is like saying "Hi, I'm John Smith L0ZER". You know, chicks don't really dig that kind of stuff any more (assuming they ever really did.)

I say this as an ex-HAM myself. Got a little experience.

"In fact I'd say that outside us radio nerds it's not cool to anyone under 40 anymore."

Not necessarily. I'm 29 and I find most fascinating SCA, the Ibiquity system, MF <530 kHz, satellites/ITFS/QAM and CB (which is another form of HAM radio--go figure.) I don't consider myself a "radio nerd", especially since "nerd" is actually considered a slur.

[Darth_vader]

Well, actually that's not entirely accurate--CB and HAM are both forms of amateur radio, yes, but CB and HAM are two completely different beasts in the way they're approached, utilised, regulated (or not) etc.

Just a clarification for those who want to take it down to a matter of strict semantics......

[Savage]

HAW HAW HAW!!   

Thanks for the belly laff, Darth!  Other "not recommended" pickup lines:

Excuse me, but I couldn't help but notice...your hands are very delicate, perfect for "surface mount" work.

So how do you feel about lead-free solder??

Wanna come home and call some CQ with me?  I can copy 10 wpm.

[Tom Wells]

"Would you like to come over see my place and see what a real modulation envelope looks like?"

Nothing sets a mood for romance like when the Model 15 Teletype is printing out the ARRL bulletin at 45.45 baud.

I'm truly blessed.  My wife first heard me on the radio, WILL admire the modulation envelope, adds music to my
part 15 playlist, and can usually hear what it is that I am listening for when adjusting sound, etc.

When I think 'way back, the only girlfriends that were ever serious competition were also
 completely accepting of my radio interest.
 
My almost total lack of interest in media sports must be some kind of compensation.


Just put a real mast antenna on my wife's Hyundai w/Kenwood HD a few days ago and she noticed firstly that ALL FM works without so many flutters now, and the AM actually has "normal" sensitivity, even though the audio is brickwalled at mud level.

She also noticed the iboc having enuogh data to now go into the HD mode more often.
It's dinnertime, I'll ask her today about what/if she has noticed about differences, sub-channels, time sync, etc.

[Zach]

Nerd is no longer a slur and even seen as cool in some ways.  Why else are so many NBA players wearing eyeglasses with fake lenses? 

[JohnnyElectron]

Speaking of which, one of my 'harmonics' friends was over at our house and I heard her spell out something using the correct phonetic alphabet!  Sure enough, I found out her dad is also a ham - that was a dead giveaway! 

The old Drew Carey Show had the ultimate pickup line though: "Why don't you come over to my place - I live in my Parent's basement and you can check out my aquariums and ham radio setup while you're over!" 

 

[rbrucecarter5]

Not necessarily. I'm 29 and I find most fascinating SCA, the Ibiquity system, MF <530 kHz, satellites/ITFS/QAM and CB (which is another form of HAM radio--go figure.) I don't consider myself a "radio nerd", especially since "nerd" is actually considered a slur.

If Kari Byron of Mythbusters describes herself as a nerd, it is good enough for the rest of us.  Now - referring to my degree, I never describe myself as a "double E" or "EE", because" of the words with two "ee"s in the middle.

Girls are not interested in the mechanics by which radio gets the music to them.  They are interested in their favorite music.  They have no tolerance for static, and little for channel hopping.  So HD radio, with its frequent drop outs, will definitely NOT help you pick up chicks. 

[Darth_vader]

"Want to come home and call some CQ with me?  I can copy 10 WPM."

Nope, Morse code definitely won't get you chicks these days! If this were 1912 it might, but attitudes toward certain things have changed pretty considerably over the past century.

"Nerd is no longer a slur and even seen as cool in some ways."

"Nerd" is very much a racial slur these days, akin to someone of one certain ethnic group calling somebody of another certain ethnic group a n----r, except that we don't even call each other n--ds amongst ourselves, not even our comrades. Not cool. "Geek" is actually the preferred term these days.